Programs & Events

November 3

What they don’t tell you about starting a PR business

Wine & Cheese Social

Starting a PR business is - and is not - like starting any other business. PRSA offers a behind-the-scenes look from three professionals: Kevin Bush, Rainier Sky Marketing & Public Relations; Catherine Sweeney, APR, Sweeney Communications, LLC; and Terry LaBrue, APR, LaBrue Communications. Enjoy wine and light hors d’oeuvres and bring your questions for these successful business owners.

Don’t miss this year’s “Connecting for a Cause” on Nov. 10 at the Seattle Center. There’s a great line-up in store! Learn how to make social media work for your nonprofit. Get up to speed on media relations in the digital age. Hear from a local e-metrics expert about how to measure your success online. Find out how other nonprofits are getting maximum PR exposure despite limited resources. Speakers include: Chris Pirillo of Gnomedex, Shauna Causey of Ant’s Eye View, Kristen Eddings of the Washington Global Health Alliance, Melody Biringer of Crave Seattle, local editor and writer Chuck Taylor, Aaron Blank of the Fearey Group and many more.

Michael Buschmohle comes back to the South Sound PRSA group to present radical tips on writing e-mail, letters, and how to write promotional ads and fliers. Attendees will learn practical tips they can go back to their offices and use immediately. You don’t want to miss this one! Buschmohle’s presentations pack the house.

In addition to being president of Applause Associates, Buschmohle is an author, editor, graphic artist, advertising copywriter, speech writer, media coach, college instructor, he teaches an MBA communications course in China including teaching research writing for Chinese business and airline personnel. He's a former magazine art director, hospital training director, and a former Catholic priest.

Celebrate the holiday season with your fellow communication professionals at the PRSA Holiday Gala on December 7. Don’t forget your boxing gloves. Who can forget last year’s competitive dessert auction? We thought some of the bidders would come to blows! Seriously, though, this is a fun event every year and you won’t want to miss it. Join us to recognize the Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award winner and purchase last-minute holiday gifts at the auction. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Puget Sound Chapter’s Horace & Susie Revels Cayton and Sally Heet Memorial scholarships. If you would like to donate for the auction, contact auction coordinator Sharon Hoffman.

News

At the annual meeting of the Delegate Assembly in Washington, DC, in October, the requirement that national PRSA board members must hold APR accreditation was maintained.

In a September survey of members of the Puget Sound Chapter, 62 percent agreed that the APR credential should be required for national board service in PRSA.

For more on this APR issue and the results of the survey, see the chapter blog.

If you have questions about APR, or are considering pursuing accreditation, now is the time. Please visit the chapter website, or contact Rich Murphy, Ph.D, APR, Puget Sound Vice President for Education and Accreditation, at 206-769-0831.

Have a spare moment or two? Looking to make some new friends or network with local professionals? Volunteer with PRSA. The chapter is now recruiting members for the Membership Committee, Programs Committee and Holiday Gala Committee. Want to join the fun? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Linda Farmer, APR, 253-835-2411, or visit our volunteer page which lists committees and contact information.

Bob Frause, APR, Fellow PRSA, hit it out of the park in late September with an intimate gathering at his downtown Seattle PR agency. After making the tough decision of red or white, participants settled around the conference table and got down to brass tacks.

What would you do if your boss told you it was okay to fudge on an expense report? What if a company hired a bunch of college kids to tweet good things about its products, but didn’t say they were paid? What if a big part of a story that you wrote and posted with your byline got lifted verbatim but there was no attribution? Frause, a long-time member of the National PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards, guided the group through discussion on thorny ethical scenarios like these.

September was National Ethics Month. Frause plans on hosting a follow-up ethics discussion, possibly with a webinar or other type of professional development after the first of the year. Stay tuned!

Membership

Join a Professional Interest Section and save

Stay on top of emerging trends in an overlapping public relations specialty. Professional Interest Sections offer practice-specific tools and networking sure to increase your awareness of different industries. Take advantage of these specials during October and November:

New members joining PRSA (two or more years PR experience): FREE Section membership.

Current members (two or more years PR experience): SAVE $20 on new Section memberships.

To join PRSA National and/or to join a Professional Interest Section, enter the promotion code FREESEC10.

Stay Connected

Join our online communities

Don't forget you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and the Chapter Blog. Check out our PRSA Puget Sound Facebook group page brimming with program info, event dates, discussion threads, wall posts and more. But, that's not all! We are now on Twitter too! Follow us on Twitter @PRSAPugetSound for great updates on programs, events and more. And, last but not least, hit up our blogspot at prsapugetsoundchapter.blogspot.com for recaps on events, PRSA news and more.

Network. Network. Network. Expand your LinkedIn network by adding Puget Sound PRSA to your LinkedIn Profile. Connect with fellow PRSA members and participate in related discussions. To add the group to your profile, search for Groups and type in Puget Sound Public Relations Society of America.